


so it goes

by K_K_TiBal



Category: Supernatural
Genre: Angst, Canon Compliant, Hospitals, M/M, at least for now
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-11-14
Updated: 2020-11-14
Packaged: 2021-03-09 23:35:47
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: Major Character Death
Chapters: 1
Words: 665
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/27554716
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/K_K_TiBal/pseuds/K_K_TiBal
Summary: Castiel returns one more time to retrieve something he left behind.
Relationships: Castiel/Dean Winchester
Comments: 25
Kudos: 176





	so it goes

**Author's Note:**

> but sir this is my emotional support angst ficlet

“Hello Dean.”

Dean almost didn’t look at first - he was ready to write it off as his ears playing tricks on him again like they’d done many, _many_ times in the past. 

He looked, though. 

Of course he did.

Dean slowly lolled his head to one side to see a trench coat-clad figure standing in the corner of his room, a half-smile tugging on the corner of his lips. 

Dean just stared for a moment, squinting, then let out a chuckle. 

“Well, I’ll be damned.”

“I highly doubt that.” Castiel said, looking almost shy. 

Dean hummed. 

“You’ve got some explaining to do, you know.” Dean said, wagging a finger in Castiel’s direction. “Just up and leaving me alone like that? Gives a guy all sorts of mixed signals.”

Castiel dropped his gaze. 

“That wasn’t my intention. I apologize, Dean.” He looked back up and seemed to let himself smile again. “At the time, I - I wasn’t expecting a moment like that to ever present itself.”

“Yeah, well,” Dean cleared his throat, “You should’ve.”

Castiel took a cautious step forward. 

“I know that now.” 

Silence fell between them again as they took the time to stare. 

“So,” Dean said, the first one to break it, “What brings you back? Didja leave something behind?”

The lines of Castiel’s face softened as he looked down at Dean, and nodded as he took a seat in the chair next to his bed. 

“I believe I did.”

Dean swallowed and awkwardly let one of his hands fall open next to him on the bed - an invitation and a question. 

“Well. You know. Guess you should take it back with you.”

Castiel seemed to let out a relieved breath and rested his hand in Dean’s, squeezing once. It was warm and comforting in a way Dean hadn’t felt in a long time, and yet had always felt. 

This is what he’d been missing. 

This is what he’d always had. 

“Don’t worry,” Castiel said reassuringly, “I plan to.”

Dean nearly lost himself staring at Castiel again; he would have been content to stay like that forever.

“Dean?”

Dean turned to look at Sam on the other side of him, who was frowning like something was wrong. 

Sam’s hair was gray, so gray that Dean felt like pointing it out to him, but for some reason doing so felt like a familiar urge that he’d indulged in several times before already.

“Who are you talking to?”

Dean smiled and jerked his head in Castiel’s direction. 

“Cas, man. He’s back.”

Dean watched Sam’s eyes glaze over where Castiel was currently seated, his eyes scanning the entire room before landing back on Dean. 

“You see Cas?” Sam asked, his voice breaking. 

“‘Course.” Dean squeezed Castiel’s hand, and the heart monitor he was attached to picked up pace briefly. “‘Course he came back.”

A tear had slipped down Sam’s face by the time he turned back. 

“Sammy? You okay?”

“Yeah, I’m -” Sam hurriedly wiped it away and cleared his throat, “What’s he saying?”

“He’s just here to get something he left behind.” Dean said, turning back to Castiel, “Right?”

“Right.” Castiel murmured. 

Dean smiled at Castiel, his heart so full, completely juxtaposing the tears that Sam was now trying to hide. 

How could Sam feel so sad about something that was making Dean so happy?

“Sam -”

“Sorry,” Sam clasped his hands in front of him and sniffed, “I’m - I’m just happy for you. He came back. That’s - that’s awesome.”

Dean shook his head with an amused huff of air.

“About damn time, too,” Dean said with a wink in Castiel’s direction, “Do you think I can convince him to stay this time?”

The sound of sniffing was all he could hear from Sam as Castiel tilted his head to the side and leaned forward. 

“I’ll never leave your side again, Dean Winchester. I promise.”

“Mmmm.” Dean said, laying his head back down on the hospital bed, closing his eyes, and finally feeling whole. “I like that.”


End file.
